G-Rod holds the cards in budget battle

Legislators shook hands and loaded boxes into cars after their spring session ended, but the celebration was clouded by the realization that they may be back in the state capital very soon.

After approving a proposed ban on the style of pay-to-play politics alleged to have taken place in Gov. Blagojevich's administration, sending him an underfunded state budget and stalling his push for a huge public works program, the legislature's return to Springfield may be counted in weeks instead of months.

Anyone thinking that the squabbling among the state's Democratic leaders ran its course with the legislature's rare on-time adjournment late Saturday night need only to look at the official statement Blagojevich issued after his pet $33 billion public works plan passed the Senate but was quashed by House Speaker Michael Madigan about 10 p.m.

"I want to congratulate three of the four legislative caucuses for their efforts to pass a capital [construction] plan," the Democratic governor said, mentioning Democratic Senate President Emil Jones and Republican leaders Frank Watson in the Senate and Tom Cross in the House. "Despite the House Democratic leadership's effort to kill the jobs bill, this is only the beginning."

As for Madigan, the veteran Democrat from the Southwest Side insists there is nothing personal in his criticism that Blagojevich is untrustworthy and a leader who fosters division rather than bringing sides together.

"Rod Blagojevich has got his own set of problems, and he's going to have to deal with those problems," said Madigan, the state Democratic chairman. "I move through my life without thinking a lot about Rod Blagojevich."

Possibly at stake is the fate of the nearly $60 billion state budget, a document some critics say could be $2 billion out of whack and could require Blagojevich to make unpopular cuts.

Blagojevich said he would keep an open mind on the budget plan. But a total veto would leave the state without a spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1, requiring a quick return by lawmakers.